


runaways

by nereid



Category: Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: Alternate Universe - Thieves, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 01:29:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1839406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nereid/pseuds/nereid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's almost romantic, if you think about it from that angle, which, obviously Rose doesn't.</p><p> </p><p>She still thinks Lissa looks pretty, whoever she is.</p><p> </p><p>(a thieves/on the run/roadtrip AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	runaways

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kyallu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyallu/gifts).



Rose's just about to start her attempt to hotwire this car (this very red, very noticable car, clearly a bad choice for an inconspicuous getaway, but it's parked in a little out-of-view alley, and it's the only car here, so there's not much choice, not really) and then Rose hears the right hand door on the car open. There's now a tall, blonde girl in a long, white dress sitting next to her, a car key dangling in her long, pale fingers.

 

"You could've just asked, you know" the girl says. Rose's learned already that you don't question these amazing opportunities that fall into your lap occasionally, so she rolls with it, takes the keys and starts the car.

 

"I'm Lissa," the girl says.

 

It's almost romantic, if you think about it from that angle, which, obviously Rose doesn't.

 

She still thinks Lissa looks pretty, whoever she is.

 

 

*

 

 

"So you steal?"

"Yes."

"Just steal?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

A pause.

"No."

"You're lying to me."

"No."

"You still haven't told me your name."

"Rose."

"Rose, I'll be the best getaway car driver you ever had pleasure of working with."

"You better be."

 

 

*

 

 

It all gets worse before it gets better.

 

 

*

 

 

Lissa pays for their motel room despite Rose walking around with a bag full of cash. She insists they share a room and that she take a shower first. Rose sits on her bed while Lissa's in the bathroom, she counts the money and stares at the car key that Lissa left on one of the nightstands. For some reason or other, Rose doesn't grab the key and run, no, she waits for her turn in the bathroom and swears loudly when Lissa doesn't leave any hot water for her.

 

Lissa just laughs.

 

 

*

 

 

"You can't just jump in there unprepared, we need a plan," Lissa insists, always. Lissa is infuriating when she does this, when she raises her perfectly-shaped unbelievably thin eyebrows and grins and Rose hates it when this happens, hates when Lissa makes her think about things ten times over when it's all plain and simple really and she could've handled the job all on her own by now, if it wasn't for Lissa here, Lissa who wanted maps and schedules and three back-up plans at least.

 

"Come on, I'll get us something to drink, and we'll come up with a plan for the back entry guards."

 

Lissa gives Rose a quick peck on the cheek and winks when she takes her purse and leaves their motel room. 

 

Rose still thinks she's infuriating.

 

 

*

 

 

(Lissa will get them a bottle of wine from the nearest gas station. Rose will be gone by the time Lissa gets back and there'll be a note with a place and a time, and in Rose's messy handwriting it'll also say _you promised you'd be the getaway car_.)

 

 

*

 

 

Rose goes in with a third of a plan in the end. By Lissa's standards, at least. It turns out alright, but Lissa doesn't talk to her for a week afterwards. Rose comes to their motel room with a bottle of wine one night and it's the closest to apologizing she's going to get, so she hopes Lissa accepts it.

 

She does. They end up emptying the bottle and when Rose wakes up she's sleeping in Lissa's bed, her panties and a shirt still on, though. She doesn't remember what happened (or if anything happened at all) but it obviously doesn't matter if she can't remember it, so she lets it go. They don't talk about it, whatever it was.

 

 

*

 

 

"It's an easy job, I can pull it off," Lissa says.

 

"Fine."

 

 

*

 

 

Rose's waiting at the designated spot and she's been here longer than she expected to be and she's worried something went wrong on the job.

 

She turns around when she hears something resembling the sound of footsteps behind her, and it's Lissa walking towards the car. Rose opens the right hand door for her and Lissa's quick to sit down and close the door behind her.

 

"You're bleeding," Rose notes right away, and even she's surprised to hear her own voice crack then, just a little.

 

"It'll be fine, it's just a scratch."

 

Rose drives them back to the motel.

 

 

*

 

 

It ends up being almost just a scratch.

 

Rose helps Lissa walk to their motel room, mostly helps her keep one of her black shirts over the wound.

 

Rose spreads towels over her bed and helps Lissa lie down and Lissa looks a bit unsure about this, but then Rose takes something resembling a medical kit out of some bag and she thinks Lissa looks less worried now. She's got a shallow stab wound just under her ribs, and it's not just a scratch but it's pretty shallow anyway. Rose places the medical kit down next to the bed and then sits on Rose, one leg on each side of her. Rose's wearing a black dress that reaches her knees, only it's been pulled up to her hips now. She gives herself a milisecond to mourn her dress that'll probably get blood stains all over it, and then she goes back to fixing this.

 

"We were supposed to go dancing, Liss," Rose says, tries to sound teasing or angry, anything but worried.

 

"Still can, Rose."

 

Rose unbuttons Lissa's white shirt and Lissa thinks she sees Rose's fingers tremble a little, but then she takes a breath and steadies herself.

 

"Hold still, Liss" she instructs. She cleans the wound and stitches it up, all gentleness and care and in the middle of it all she stops for a second because this is nice. Not the stabbing part, but the _Lissa-has-really-soft-skin_ part and the _touching-Lissa's-really-soft-skin_ part. _Oh_ , she thinks. _This is new._

 

Her hands shake a little. She hopes Lissa doesn't notice.

 

"Next time I'm coming along so I can be there to save your tiny, sorry ass," she says later.

 

"Nothing happened. Just my shirt got ruined," Lissa replies and means to get up, but Rose's still sitting on her so she can't really move anyway and Rose pushes her back down so her head rests on the pillows.

 

"Lie down. No moving," Rose says, all strict and tense and then she lies down next to Lissa.

 

"Sleep," she says as she lies on her side, by Lissa. She can relax now. They both can.

 

"Sleep."

 

 

*

 

 

(Later, when Lissa's asleep and Rose's lying awake on the bed next to her, Rose'll take Lissa's hand in hers and whisper "I'm yours, and you're mine. Don't get hurt again. Deal?")

 

 

*

 

 

Rose's pretty sure Lissa didn't hear her. But Lissa stops demanding she go out on jobs herself, and starts demanding Rose teach her things, mostly basic combat techniques. They train every other day, in their room or out in the field that's close to their motel. It's sunny and warm and Rose likes the exercise, likes the way the summer sun warms her skin and how sweat glistens on Lissa's pale skin and sometimes, when it's dark and she can admit to it, she likes that she's still physically stronger and a better fighter and she can pin Lissa down under herself when she so chooses. Maybe she likes that the most.

 

 

*

 

 

Rose's always thought of this as a life suited for one person, a solitary type of life, and she liked that idea and now -- now Lissa's feet are twinned with hers at night sometimes when they end up renting rooms with just one bed and it's cold, and there's Lissa's breath on her neck when Rose calls her to show her the research for some job or other and then Lissa leans so close, it's like she forgets they're not the same person and this isn't what Rose signed up for, not even close.

 

 

*

 

 

It's a Friday night, one of many since they've started this (whatever _this_ is) and Lissa wants them to go out dancing to a club, and somewhere along the way, Lissa learned how to get things she wants from Rose. 

 

So Rose puts on a short red dress that falls just short of being decent and she's just finished putting on lipstick when Lissa comes out of the bathroom. She's wearing a black backless dress that Rose's never seen before and traces of make-up and she still thinks that Lissa looks beautiful just now. Lissa motions for Rose to spin then, probably so Lissa can see how the dress fits her, and Rose spins and spins and spins, until Lissa tells her she can stop.

 

When she spins back around to face Lissa, Lissa's standing inches away from her and she's laughing and Rose looks at her and she catches the faint scent of Lissa's perfume and Lissa stops laughing and she bites her lower lip and Rose kisses her then.

 

 

They don't make it to the club that night. 

 

Lissa doesn't complain.


End file.
